Study information

Academic Listening and Speaking

Module titleAcademic Listening and Speaking
Module codeELC2727
Academic year2024/5
Credits15
Module staff
Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

16

Module description

This module develops English for academic listening and note-taking, delivering critical presentations and strategies for seminar discussion. It has frequent opportunities for practice and regular tutor and peer feedback on class tasks and homework. Topic focus is cultural connections between and future directions for societies. Skills practiced are transferrable to other academic modules and employability. There are no prerequisites for participation; it is suitable for students from all subject areas with an English CEFR framework level from B2 to C2 (IELTS6.5 – 8). Students wishing to take this module will need to complete a short task to ensure appropriate language level and should email insessional@exeter.ac.ukbefore registering.  

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to develop student ability to:

  • Communicate and participate effectively in academic seminars 

  • Deliver well-planned and critical presentations 

  • Identify and record pertinent information from academic lectures 

  • Extend communicative skills for sharing and evaluating research materials 

 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Give clear, systematically developed presentations in English, with appropriate highlighting of significant points, relevant supporting detail and ending with an appropriate conclusion.
  • 2. Actively participate in academic seminar discussion in English.
  • 3. Respond to spoken English in a range of topic areas encountered in academic life.
  • 4. Take accurate and effective notes.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. Communicate effectively in spoken English in a manner appropriate to their disciplines.
  • 6. Report practical procedures in a clear and concise manner.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 7. Apply given methods accurately to a well-defined problem.
  • 8. Collect appropriate data from a range of sources.
  • 9. Undertake a simple research task with external guidance.
  • 10. Work effectively with others as a member of a group.
  • 11. Take responsibility for their own learning through reflective practice.

Syllabus plan

  • Listening and note-taking: identifying key points; organising ideas; listening for detail; extrapolating from notes; inferring speaker attitude. 

  • Presentation skills: planning a presentation; signposting; audio visual aids; dealing with questions. 

  • Seminar skills: transactional skills such as giving opinions, presenting an argument, holding the floor, and eliciting ideas from other speakers. 

  • Phonology & intonation: sentence and word stress, liaison, phonemic control. 

  • Independent Research and referencing skills. 

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
441060

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning & teaching 44Seminars consisting of guided group discussion, listening and note-taking practice, presentations skills (group and individual), phonology, and peer and tutor feedback.
Guided independent study 33Independent topic-based research and preparation for formative and summative presentations.
Guided independent study 22Independent research of academic and media articles for formative and summative assessed seminars.
Guided independent study 25Guided listening and note-taking tasks on appropriate and complex topics (listening journal)
Guided independent study 22Reflecting on the application of appropriate linguistic strategies to different classroom activities and how this can be extended and applied to areas of study beyond this module.
Guided independent study 4Reading and discussion preparation for listening test.

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Individual practice presentation 10-12 mins 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 Peer (written) Tutor (verbal/written)
Seminar Practice 20 mins2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10,11 Tutor (verbal/written)
Listening and note-taking tasks 15 mins weeks 2-8 3, 4, 6, 7, 11 Tutor (verbal/written)

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
75250

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Presentation 3015 Minutes1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,11 Tutor (written) Transcript
Assessed seminar 3020-25 mins (depending on number of students in seminar group) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10,11Tutor (written) Transcript
Listening and note-taking exam 251 hour 3, 4, 6, 7, 11 Transcript
Listening journal 15Listening journal kept over 7 weeks (note-taking task plus 4 short summaries each week) 3, 4, 6, 7, 11 Tutor (written) Transcript
0
0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
PresentationPresentation1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11 August/September assessment period
Assessed seminar Assessed discussion 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10,11 August/September assessment period
Listening and note-taking exam Listening and note-taking exam 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11 August/September assessment period
Listening journal Re-submission 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11August/September assessment period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for reasons judged legitimate by the Mitigation Committee, the applicable assessment will normally be deferred. See ‘Details of reassessment’ for the form that assessment usually takes. When deferral occurs there is ordinarily no change to the overall weighting of that assessment. 

 

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to take a re-sit exam. Only your performance in this exam will count towards your final module grade. A grade of 40% will be awarded if the examination is passed.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading: 

 

  • Ivory, S. B. (2021). Becoming a Critical Thinker: For Your University Studies and Beyond. Oxford University Press. 

  • Powell, M. (2010). Dynamic Presentations. Heinle 

  • Transferable Academic Skills Kit (2015). Garnet. 

  • Wallwork, A. (2016). English for Presentations at International Conferences (English for Academic Research). Springer 

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Web-based and electronic resources:  

 

Key words search

English for Academic Purposes, Seminar skills, Presentation skills, Listening and note-taking, Critical thinking, Harvard referencing 

Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

Available as distance learning?

No

Last revision date

13/07/2023